


Like This

by BeaconHound



Category: Smallville, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Future Fic-ish, M/M, Some Angst with a Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2018-12-30 09:24:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 21,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12105648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeaconHound/pseuds/BeaconHound
Summary: It didn't matter how many lives he saved, Superman couldn't be trusted! Or at least, that's what Lex thought before he found out that the worlds greatest superhero used to be his best friend. Of course, Clark is trustworthy, right?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own anyone from DC. Oh, how I wish I did.
> 
> Feedback greatly appreciated.

 Lex’s head was reeling and his knuckles were white as he gripped the first class seat armrests. The world spun and bucked around him. In what appeared to be his final moments Lex couldn't help but look for someone to blame. This wouldn't be happening if the flight crew hadn't decided that this weekend was somehow imperative to the wellbeing of his personal jet’s landing gear. If only they had waited just a few days he wouldn't be on this public flight and more importantly, he wouldn't be dying.

His stomach lurched as the plane hurled downward toward the Metropolis skyline but he refused to give in to nausea. Luthors did not throw up, regardless of whether or not any witnesses would still be alive in the coming moments.

The adrenaline must have him imagining things. In all the chaos Lex swore something moved out of the corner of his eye but was left dumbfounded when he focused and realized nothing was there. And now, even though he knew for a fact that he was plummeting to his death at 98 meters per second, his surroundings almost seemed to slow around him. What was next, his life flashing before his eyes? Somehow that seemed less than enjoyable.

It shouldn't be much longer now… just a few more moments… except that the plane seemed to be leveling. Lex wasn't the only one to notice this time, there were gasps and sighs all around the cabin. After what seemed like forever the plane splashed into the river. The door was ripped off and a man **floated** into the plane.

He was tall, over 6 feet. Apparently, he had landed in the river as well because his soaking t-shirt clung to him like a second skin showing off his broad shoulders and every defined muscle. His dark hair stuck to his forehead and fell over startling green eyes.

“Is everyone alright?” He asked.

There was a murmur of assent from the other passengers; Lex, however, was silent as he watched the man's eyes travel over the other passengers. There was something… wrong. He couldn't put his finger on it but Lex’s mind wouldn't settle looking at him. Then as they passed over him Lex saw it, only for an instant but Lex prided himself on his ability to read people. In those green eyes he had seen the briefest flash of guilt, or maybe it was shame, but then he was gone.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Over the next few weeks, it was like you couldn't turn on the television or open a newspaper without seeing this mystery ‘hero.’ He had done everything from stopping train derailments to getting kittens from trees.

Lex scoffed at the primary colored outfit that he now wore on the front page of every paper. A blue leotard with flashy red cape and go-go boots and that gaudy red and yellow S in the middle of his chest. It might as well have been a neon sign that shouted ‘Look at me!’ Lex may have found bats a bit morbid but at least that one in Gotham’s outfit was less ostentatious. 

Worse than his clothes everyone seemed to be singing this guy's praises. Could they all really be this blind? With all his powers how did no one see him for the threat he was? The worst of the bunch was Lois Lane and, by association, Kent. Lex did not look forward to his interview with them but with any luck, it would be a short meeting. Apparently, the  _ Planet _ was doing a human interest piece on the crash, talking to each of the survivors about their experience. Utter nonsense, but he had been told, by the P.R. team that he spent an obscene amount of money on, that it was good press and not doing it would hurt his stock prices. After he finished his coffee he would be on his way. No surprise that he was sipping it so slightly, stretching out and savoring his eremitic mornings. Perhaps, though, it didn't have to be all bad. Maybe it could be fun to see his once friend again. 

*****

When they arrived the first thing Lex noticed was that the years had clearly done nothing for Clark’s poise. His posture was terrible, feet shuffling as he walked and he kept adjusting and re-adjusting his glasses every few seconds. When placed next to the straight back, sure-footed Miss Lane, he seemed meek and downright mild-mannered. 

From what Lex had heard, Clark often contributed little to interviews. It seemed that Lois investigated stories, followed leads and put her name on everything while Clark was there to fact check and articulate a piece that could keep the attention of the public. 

“Miss Lane, Mr. Kent,” Lex greeted cordially, extending a hand. 

“Le…” Clark began, grinning, but at the slight shift of Lex’s brow his face fell and he changed course. “Mr. Luthor.” He shook the offered hand. 

Lex supposed he had worse handshakes at some point although he had a hard time thinking of one now. 

“Thank you for taking the time to meet with us,” Lane said with a much firmer handshake. 

“Of course,” Lex said, gesturing to the low table at one side of the office. Around it was a couch and two armchairs. Lex took one of the chairs assuming that the two reporters would share the couch across from him. He was wrong. Lane took a seat on the couch across the table while Clark made himself comfortable in the chair next to him. 

“We will try to keep this short,” Clark was saying while he pulled out a pad and pen. “I'm sure you are very busy and would like to minimize the intrusion on you Saturday.”

“Thank you.” 

“We really only have three questions we've asked everyone,” Lois said.

_ Only three questions.They couldn't be asked over the phone? _ Lex bit back a sigh while he was asked the first question. 

“First: why were you flying that day?”

“I had a business meeting out of the country.” 

“Any interest in elaborating?” She asked. 

“Not really, I tend to keep ongoing business matters close to the vest.”

“Fair enough. Next question: what were you thinking while the plane was going down?”

“This was a terrible time to have the landing gear replaced on my personal plane,” Lex answered honestly and looking up he saw the corners of Clark's lips turn up in an amused smirk. It looked good on him. 

Lois seemed to think he was kidding and wanted to wait for his real answer, but at a small shake of Clark's head she shrugged and moved on. “Lastly we’re asking if there is anything you want to say your rescuer?” 

Lex’s face went blank. “No,” he said dully. 

Lois’ eyebrows raised and all but dropped her jaw in shock. Lex could practically hear her internal gasp of shock and abject horror that someone wasn't mooning over her idol. Then sparing a glance to Clark he was taken aback not to find a surprise in his face at all. In fact, all he could see in the younger man's green eyes was resignation, as though this was what he’d thought would happen. 

Lex couldn't stop staring at those eyes. There was something about them he couldn't understand. A nagging in the back of his mind, like they seemed familiar. But of course they did, he’d know Clark for years. 

“Well…” Lois finally said after an uncomfortable pause, “I guess that about covers it. I suppose we should let you get back to your day.”

They rose each shaking Lex's hand. Clarks handshake a bit firmer this time as he said “Thank you for your time Mr. Luthor,” and this time when he said his name Lex thought he could have imagined the hint of sorrow or perhaps… longing? That didn't make any sense Clark hadn't been his friend in years. Why would he miss him?  


	3. Superman

Lex hadn't bothered reading his interview when it ran. But two weeks later he was devouring the newest Lane/Kent piece. 

“Superman?” Lex scoffed looking down at the tell-all with Lois Lane in the  _ Planet.  _ “Really that's the name he's going to go with? Clearly, someone's mommy told him he was a special boy a few times too many.”

‘An alien’ Lex read and just like that he was sure all his suspicions were confirmed. They were being lulled into security. This alien meant to invade and rule. All these simpletons were just going to let him! This drivel they had run about his world being destroyed must have been a story to make him appear less threatening. There was no way to fact check something like that.

He studied the full-color photo that filled the entire cover of that morning's issue. Lex wasn't blind he was clearly attractive. Tall, with broad shoulders and chest that came down to a narrow waist. His form-fitting suit showing every well-defined line of his muscles. This creature could put the legend of Adonis to shame, but there was still something that caused his mind to shout  _ wrong _ every time he looked at the alien.

His face, Lex decided. Physically there was nothing wrong with it he knew. It was perfectly symmetrical, with high, sharp cheekbones and strong jaw. All framed by thick shiny black hair that fell over the brightest green eyes Lex had ever seen. But none of that stopped the nagging in his mind that there was something very wrong with Superman. Apparently, it was going to fall to Lex to find out what, and stop him when it came time.


	4. Chapter 4

Lex looked down at the special night edition of the  _ Planet _ in disgust.  **Terrorist Captured By Superman** the headline read, above a photo of the ‘Man of Steel’ standing on top of a decimated Lexo-Suit. He’d built that suit himself. It was capable of withstanding blasts from a top of the line rocket launcher without so much as a scratch in the paint. Yet Superman had torn through it as though it had been a paper doll. 

“...as the merchandise never left Metropolis the Kaznian Regent expects a full and prompt refund.” 

Lex finally looked up at the sniveling lawyer sitting across the desk from him, his fingers steepled beneath his chin. “Your Regent and I had an arrangement,” he said icily, “and I held up my end. I created a situation where your men could take the suit. All they had to do was put it on a ship and leave.” Lex spread his hands over his desk slowly getting to his feet, his volume steadily rising as he continued. “Did I allow Lois Lane on that ship? Did I engage Superman? And now because of this aliens interference, it's to cost me billions of dollars!?” 

The lawyer’s eyes widened and he stumbled backward out of his seat. Lex felt a smug satisfaction until the man's eyes focused on something just to the side of Lex’s face. “I think that maybe you have some more pressing concerns to deal with. Good day.” He scrambled for his briefcase and hurried from the room.

Lex sank back into his chair and twisted it to face the glass wall that looked out over Metropolis. He wasn't surprised to see the man in blue hovering, arms crossed over his signature ‘S’. Lex tapped a panel on his desk and a section of the glass opened. “I don't know what you think you heard, but I know what you can prove: nothing.” 

Superman didn't answer, just stared accusingly while Lex rose and crossed to the window. 

“You see,  _ Superman,  _ was it,” He laced the name with as much venom as he could, “I own Metropolis. Hell, I own most of this state. My money built it, my will keeps it running and at least two-thirds of the population works for me whether they're aware of it or not.”  _ Now let's see who he really is.  _ Lex turned back to his chair. “It all runs so smoothly I wonder, why limit myself to Kansas? A being with your power could be very useful to me on a wider, even, global scale. Float on in and we can discuss terms.”  _  If he takes the offer I'll  _ **_know_ ** _ I'm right. If not… then he probably just wants the world to himself.  _

Lex leaned back in his seat fingertips pressed together as he surveyed the floating figure outside his window. Still, Superman was silent, watching Lex intently through bright green eyes. They were infuriating.  _ Wrong  _ his mind shouted at those eyes. “Well say something!” Lex finally snapped hurling a paperweight from his desk out of the window. 

Superman caught it and crushed it to powder in his fist. “I'll be watching you Luthor,” he finally said before flying away. In his voice, there was no threat but a vow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise the chapters will start getting longer eventually.


	5. Chapter 5

Over the following months, Lex created dozens of weapons to counter Superman’s power. Each had been an unmitigated disaster. He'd even tried his least favorite thing: working with others.

It's hadn't really been a surprise that working with the laughing lunatic from Gotham had been a failure. Or the insufferable Ultra-Humanite, the bulbous-headed primate was, even more, self-aggrandizing than Superman. But one would think that Brainiac, a living supercomputer from the aliens homeworld, would have been more competent, at least it verified that Superman had come from Krypton and that it was now gone. But nothing made a bit of difference, nothing ever slowed him down, and now the alien had friends.

He'd worked with the archer in Starling City, the Gotham Bat, that runner from Central City; and, Lex was pretty sure, the same swimmer who wrecked his Leviathan tests at Crater Lake a few years back.

Lex sighed, flipping through the pages of data he’d collected over his various attacks. These he didn't dare store electronically. Unless he was looking over them they were locked in his steel and lead reinforced vault, and the file was only read in his office with Mercy sitting out front.

Lex felt a prickle on the back of his neck and slammed the file shut.

 “These visits are starting to become quite the habit of yours…” Lex said, not bothering to look as he tapped the panel on his desk to open a segment of the glass wall, “...Superman.”

 He soared through the open window. There was a thud as he dropped a twisted lump of metal onto the desk.

 “How thoughtful,” Lex said dryly.

 “There were kids Luthor!” Superman snapped.

Lex stared up at the infuriating face waiting for something to make sense. Rather than explain Superman's response was to reach forward and pull apart a section of the metal to expose a Cadmus Labs stamp on whatever device this used to be. So he was being accused of something. Lex had enough illegal dealings he didn't need any added on.

 “Should I know why this is on my desk?”

 “You own Cadmus!” Superman insisted.

 “Yes, I do.”

 “And you expect me to believe that you had nothing to do with tonight's attack.”

“Not that it's any of your business, Kryptonian, but there was a break in at Cadmus earlier this week.”

“A break in that you didn't report?” Superman scoffed his disbelief.

“I don't broadcast lapses in security. It invites future attempts.”

Lex pressed another section of the panel on his desk and a portion of his bookcase slid back to reveal the door to his vault. He gathered the file from his desk and placed a hand on the scanner, also contained in the panel, causing the gears in the vault door to grind before it sprung open. Lex placed is data on Superman on a shelf and retrieved the list of items stolen in the Cadmus break-in. Leaving the safe he noticed that the green vials he’d had since he'd overseen plant three were glowing faintly, odd.

When he re-entered the office he saw that Superman had backed away from the safe and his eyes were locked on the vials inside. He looked like he was in pain. He had gone pale and a thin sweat had broken out over his forehead.

Lex looked back at the vials, intrigued, closing the door and allowing the wall to slide back into place. When he turned back to Superman it was as though the last moment had never happened, though he was eyeing the section of wall that hid the safe.

 “Here is a copy of the report from the break-in at Cadmus.” He handed over the papers he'd just retrieved.

“These don't prove anything,” Superman looking through the file. “You could have easily…”

“I could have what?” Lex interrupted. “Arranged the robbery? Yes, that worked out so well for me the last time. Now, Superman, if you're done making baseless accusations, it's been a long day and is shaping up to be a longer night. So make sure you take this,” he gestured to the metal still in the middle of his desk, “with you on your way out the window.”

Superman thrust the paper into Lex's hands and then in a blink and a slight shift of air, he and the metal were gone.

Lex re-opened his safe, put back the papers from Cadmus Labs. He retrieved his file on Superman, then stopped, looking over the row of glass vials. Their green content which shone just a few moments before had now dimmed. He took a vial along with his data and returned to his desk.

He looked opened the file but did not continue reading. His attention was focused on the small glass tube in his hand. It was important he was sure, but why? What significance could a small container of refined rock from Smallville possibly have?

What did he know about them? They fell in the meteor shower in 1989. One had all but landed directly on him. The radiation they produced had cost him his hair. The rocks caused the residents of Smallville to mutate, some had developed extraordinary powers. Apparently, it caused Superman pain. There was something else, one other thing that wanted to be rememb- Clark had been allergic to them…


	6. Chapter 6

Just after dawn, Superman flew one last circuit around the city to complete his nightly watch. He landed down an empty alleyway and a minute later Clark Kent stepped onto the street a short walk away from his apartment. 

While he made his way home Clark focused his hearing on Lex Luthor. Just like Superman had throughout his patrol. He was hoping to catch anything that would link him to the Cadmus weapon he had found last night. The closest he had gotten was hearing Lex's heart rate accelerate drastically not long after Superman left. That must have been from nearly being caught, right? But after that Lex had done little besides pace around his office and occasionally swear, loudly. He had left his LexCorp office about two hours ago and returned to his penthouse. Since then he'd been slamming things and the litany of curses had continued.

Then there was the Kryptonite. What was he doing with that? Clark knew he had been experimenting with it back when they'd lived in Smallville but that was a long time ago. As far as he knew LexCorp hadn't worked with it in years. Did he know what it was and what it could do? No probably not. Lex had seemed confused by his behavior when he opened the vault. It seemed likely that Lex had been so obsessed with the rocks for so long that he just hadn't thought to part with them. But that didn't mean they weren't dangerous for him to have. Maybe he should ask Bruce or Bart to dispose of the vials for him. Although that could tip his hand and prove to Lex their value.

Clark opened all the curtains allowing in as much sunlight as he could. He wasn't going to have time to sleep before going to work and he needed a boost. It really was a shame that coffee did nothing for him.

_“Mercy, call down and have the Porsche brought out front. I'm going out.”_

_“Yes, Lex.”_

Clark sighed, he’d just settled comfortably in a patch of sun that landed across his couch.

  _“Will you be needing a security team, sir?” Mercy asked._

_“No, and you don't have to come either.”_

Clark relaxed and lessened his focus on the penthouse across town. If he wasn't taking Mercy it was unlikely Lex was going anywhere or meeting with anyone that could cause any real problem. By the time the sports car’s engine roared away from Lex's building Clark had all but stopped listening.

Instead, he considered what story he would tell if anyone asked what he’d done after work last night. He doubted telling them that he'd flown over the city looking for potential threats would go over well. He had to be careful not to repeat the same things too frequently, which meant keeping track of how many times, and how recently he'd used his usual cache of excuses. Then he had to think back where he had heard or seen people he was likely to interact with at work during his patrol so he would make sure he didn't say he'd been the same place as someone else. Moments like these he almost wished he didn't go out as Superman every night.

His plans were abruptly cut off when he realized that the sound of Lex’s car had been steadily getting closer. He crossed to the window shifting to X-ray vision to watch the Porsche take each and every turn necessary to reach Clarks building.

Lex parked directly in front of the hydrant on the road, like any cop would dare give Lex Luthor a parking ticket. He sat in the car for a few moments, apparently gathering his thoughts. When he finally got out he seemed to glide as he stalked into the building. Clark thought about how much he had always admired the power and grace Lex possessed. Then chuckled as Lex’s long black coat billowed behind him, making him look just like all the heroes he hated so much.

Once Lex had disappeared into the lobby Clark made sure to shift fully into what he called ‘Kent Mode’. He curled his shoulders forward, stooping his posture to make himself seem smaller. When Lex knocked Clark was halfway to the door before he realized he wasn't wearing his glasses. “Be there in a minute,” he called, making his voice seem thick with sleep. He ran his hands through his hair a few times to mess it up while he went back to the table to get his glasses. He made sure to tap on the hall table to make it sound like he'd tripped. Right before he opened the door he made sure to school his features into a look of surprise.

Once the door was open he wasn't sure what to say, they hadn't been friends for a long time. But he supposed he’d follow the precedent set at the interview a few months ago. “Mist…” Lex shifted his brow again and Clark changed his mind. “Lex, hi! It's been a while. Is something wrong? Are you ok?”

A sly, calculating grin spread across Lex’s face, the one that always made him kind of look like a shark. Clark was kind of alarmed when he realized that the shudder that trailed his spine wasn't entirely unpleasant.

“Of course,” Lex drawled. “Everything is just fine… Superman.”

 

_Oh fuck._


	7. Chapter 7

Lex hadn't slept. Most of the night he spent pacing his office thinking over every encounter he had with the meteor rocks, and everything he could remember about the times Clark had pulled off a remarkable last-minute save. He wouldn't believe it… It was impossible… There was no fucking way. Clark Kent nobody farm boy from nowhere Kansas was most definitely  _ not  _ Superman. But he had to follow the evidence and it all pointed to Clark. 

Well, Lex could think of one way to find out the truth once and for all, he just needed a plan. 

The first thing he need was to know why the vials of meteor rock hadn’t been a problem at first. That was pretty obvious they were in the safe, they were contained. He just needed to replicate that on a smaller scale. But he doubted something like a cardboard box would be effective. He closed his eyes and thought hard. Then he could see it: the small green stone, on a thin gold chain, in his mother's old box. 

“Mercy!” He shouted into the intercom on his desk. “Bring the car around I'm going home.” 

Without waiting for her answer he locked up his information on Superman then swept out of his office. By the time he got to the lobby Mercy was already waiting, holding open the limo door for him. She really was quite efficient, he toyed around with the idea of a raise in her not too distant future. 

For the next two hours, he tore through the penthouse in his search. It didn't really matter, he paid his staff enough that everything would be cleaned by the end of the day. It had to be around here somewhere, there's no way he would have left it in Smallville. He started yanking out the drawers from his home office desk.  _ Clank!  _ There it is. 

“Mercy, call down and have the Porsche brought out front. I'm going out.” He called picking the small box. 

“Yes, Lex.”

He got his coat and pulled the container of meteor rock from the pocket and put it in the metal box. He grabbed a listening device and placed it in his left pocket, the box in his right. 

“Will you be needing a security team, sir?” Mercy asked when entered the front hall on his way to the door. 

“No,” Lex answered, when she made to follow him out he continued, “and you don't have to come either.”

He did not want an audience for this. Not yet anyway. 

The drive didn't take long. There was next to no one on the road at this hour, and red lights did not apply to him. He sat in front of the apartment building and stared uncertainly through the window. 

What was he doing? Luthors were not afraid of confrontation. Especially not with farm boys turned reporter. Who was Clark Kent to intimidate him: Lex Luthor? Well… 

Lex shook his head, he would not think himself out of this. He rose from the car and strode confidently inside. When Clark finally opened the door he almost really seemed surprised, but just  _ there, _ it didn't completely reach his eyes. 

Then his face split into that huge grin it always had when they'd known each other. The thought of the secret it hid so well squeezed Lex's insides. 

“Mist… Lex, hi! It's been a while. Is something wrong? Are you ok?”

Lex couldn’t help the way the corners of his mouth lifted when he answered, “Of course. Everything is just fine, Superman.”

Clark’s shoulders slumped farther and he started fidgeting with his glasses. “Aw gee, Lex are you sure you're feeling alright? You're not making any sense.” It was so realistic, Lex really could have believed him if he hadn't seen that first instant of panic. 

“I'm not stupid Clark,” he said flatly, slipping his hand into his pocket, “and I really don't like being lied to.” At the last, he lifted the lid on his box. 

The effect was immediate. Clark paled, the blood draining from his face. A clammy looking sweat spread over his forehead, and his green eyes filled with terror. 

“There you are,”  Lex said with satisfaction. “It's just like I found you strung up in that cornfield with Lana’s little necklace. Or how you looked last night when you stormed into my office hurling accusation.”

Clark was gripping the door frame to hold himself up, his skin was starting to go green, and his breath was wheezing in his chest. “Lex,” he panted. “Stop… please.”

Clark gasped when Lex lowered the lid, the color quickly returning to his face. He took a few slow breaths and reached up to run a hand over his forehead, pulling his glasses off when he was done. Then last he pulled away from the wall. 

Lex marveled at the difference posture could make. The doorway seemed to shrink as Clark pushed back his shoulders and extended to his full height. It occurred to Lex how long Clark had been perfecting the way he hid so plainly. He’d always known that his friend was larger than him, Clark had actually done physical work in his life, but Lex could have sworn that they had always been close in height. Now he could see how wrong he was when he craned up to look into Superman’s eyes. 

_ Wrong  _ his mind insisted, and now he understood why. Those weren't Superman’s eyes, they were Clarks. But right now they were hard and, well, alien. 

“What do you want?” Clark demanded. 

“The truth.”

Clark looked Lex over in a way that made him want to pull his coat tighter around him. But instead, he stood straighter and raised his chin in defiance. 

“Leave your mother’s box in the hall, and give me the bug you have in your other pocket then you can come in.”

Lex slowly pulled out the box, placing it on the floor in front of him. Then reached into his other pocket brought out the small surveillance device. Clark took it from his outstretched hand and closed it in his fist. There was a muted  _ crunch _ as it was destroyed. 

“That cost a lot of money to develop.” 

“I'm sure you can afford it,” Clark scoffed moving inside and leaving the door open for Lex to follow. “Unlike you, I actually have to show up to work to get paid, so I will give you five minutes then you have to leave.” 

“How will I know if you're actually telling the truth?” Lex asked once he’d closed the door.

“You were always the one who said I couldn't lie for shit, Lex.” 

“Clearly I had no idea what I was talking about,” Lex said a hint of humor in his tone. 

“I guess so,” Clark said with a dry smile. “But I won't lie to you, not today. Now, four and a half minutes.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Lex scowled. 

“My life, my rules. Time started when you closed the door. Four minutes.”

“Alright, alright,” Lex started talking fast now. “Who are you really?”

“You didn't read the interview with Lois?” 

“I prefer to get information first hand, not to have to pick through Ms. Lane’s opinions.”

“My name was Kal-El and I was sent here to survive the destruction of my planet Krypton.”

“Was Kal-El?”

“Well yeah, I may have been born Kal-El but I grew up Clark Kent.”

“When does the rest of your invasion force arrive?” 

“What the hell? I don't have an invasion force!”

“What are the rocks?” 

“Pieces of my world that came down with my ship, it's called Kryptonite. Less than three minutes.”

“So what? Were the meteor mutants meant to be your army? Is that how you planned to take over?” 

“What the fuck Lex!? I'm not trying to rule the world.” He made an only half humored chuckle when he said. “As I recall that's always been your ambition.”

Lex thought he really should not enjoy hearing Clark curse so much as his mind scrambled for another question. He had so many and now the swearing had him half distracted.

“Just a little more than a minu…”

“Why didn't you tell me?” The question was out before he could even consider why he might not want to know the answer. 

Clark blinked, apparently he had been as surprised by the question as Lex was. He didn't answer for a while, maybe he was trying to run out the clock so he didn't have to answer. If he thought he could get out of it that easy he had another thing coming. 

“Well?” 

Clark still didn't answer. Time had to be up by now but he didn't say anything about that either.

“I was afraid to,” he finally said softly, “for a bunch of reasons. But mainly because you were so obsessed with knowing things, still are. I was afraid you would want to know how I worked.”

“What you thought I would dissect you? When had I ever given you any reason to suspect I would hurt you?!”

“I never thought you would want to hurt me, not at first. But I didn't trust that you wouldn't let your curiosity get to you in the end, and my parents they always told me that it wasn't safe for anyone to know about my powers. Especially you.” 

“Why especially me?”

“You know how my dad felt about you. It was because you-you're a-” 

“A Luthor?” Lex supplied.

Clark nodded, he slumped shoulders and put on his glasses. “I have to get ready for work… are you going to say anything?”

“Are you going to do something to stop me if I say I am?” 

“No, Lex. I'd never hurt you.” 

“Well, I haven't decided what to do with what I know. Maybe if I'd gotten more questions answered…” 

“If I say you can come back and I'll answer more questions will you keep this to yourself?” 

“For now.” 

“Fine, you can come back, okay? But next time don't bring any Kryptonite.” 

Lex agreed, bending to pick up the box on his way out. “Why doesn't it hurt you like this?” 

“The box is made with lead, it neutralizes the effects.” 

Lex started figuring out which questions he would want to ask first next time. When he reached his car a new question occurred to him: Why was he repulsed by the idea of actually exposing Clark?


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So halfway through this chapter, the focus will transfer from Clark to Lex. The change will be marked by ^^^^^^^^^^

Superman was on patrol, again. He was always on patrol now. He loved helping people, really, but it was easier when people hadn’t know he was there. Didn't count on him. Clark almost regretted saving that plane. No that wasn't true. It was more like he wished he regretted it. He knew all the available reasons but when it came to really feeling it, he just couldn't.

So now this was how he spent his time: soaring over Metropolis using all his senses to scan for danger. Sometimes he would fly straight up into the upper atmosphere and just listen as far as he could; checking for threats outside the city.

Like always he frequently shifted his hearing to check on what Lex was doing. Especially in the few days since he’d shown up at Clark’s door with a pocket full of Kryptonite. The surveillance had been surprisingly uneventful. Lex spent most of his time working or sitting by himself muttering about how he should expose Superman, but he never did. Currently, he was doing the second. So he turned his attention from the LexCorp offices and set back to searching for anything that needed his attention.

Deciding when to intervene was a challenge. Sure he could run through the city and handle everything, from a bomb to finding a lost pet. But he really wasn't needed for every little hardship. Besides he didn't want to make it seem that local law enforcement was unnecessary. With all these factors Superman usually stuck to the mass-casualty situations: robo-suits, collapsing buildings and the like. That didn't mean he never stepped in on things like day to day crimes, just rarely.

When he heard the shuffle of a mugging his first reaction was not to interfere. It was an awful thing but well within Police ability to handle. But when he heard the woman struggle to keep her purse he moved closer. The chances of someone really getting hurt had just shot up as fast as he could. He reached the dark side street and looked down. Of course, it was Lois.

It was an easy save. Superman silently landed behind Lois, arms folded over his chest. The purse snatcher eyes widened then he turned and fled.

“Are you alright Miss Lane?” At his words, Lois tensed for a moment. Her heart, which beat surprisingly even during the attempted theft, thumped slightly louder and faster.

She swung around to face him, eyes wide, briefly biting at her lowly lip. “Superman! Hi,” she said a little breathily, putting her hand on his arm. Superman had to very consciously remind himself not to yank away. He really wanted her to get over this crush already. “Thanks for the save.”

“Of course,” he nodded. “But you know if it happens again in the future you should really just let go of the bag. That guy had a gun and could have decided he didn't want to keep pulling anymore. A purse isn't worth your life.”

Thud thud thud.What the hell was that?

Lois was answering, probably about how she's never in any real danger with him around but he wasn't paying attention. He was tuning into the sound.

_Thud thud thud. “Clark!”_

No, not now!  

“I'm sorry Miss Lane, I really have to go.”

“Off to stop a Luthor scheme?”

_Thud thud. “Clark open the door.”_

“Not exactly. Have a safe night Miss Lane.”  Then he took off flying toward Clark’s apartment.

Superman was through the window and unfastening his cape in moments. In a whirl he had pulled on a flannel shirt and sweatpants over his suit, leaving the glasses behind.

“Clark if you're not going to answer, I can always try calling Su-bmrph.” Clark threw the door open and clamped his hand over Lex’s mouth. He heard Lex’s heart leap and his palm burned where it touched his lips.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Lex was in shock. He knew that would get Clark's attention but this was definitely surprising, and he absolutely did not want to part his lips and lick the hand pressed against his mouth. When Clark pulled his hand away, a few seconds later, Lex bit the side of his tongue to stop himself saying ‘kinky’.

“You indicated that mornings wouldn't work for you with your job at the _Planet_ ,” he said instead, ducking around Clark to get inside before he could have a door slammed in his face. “So I thought I'd be a little more accommodating.”

“Yeah well your timing is less than convenient,” Clark said after he'd closed the door.

Lex noticed the blue collar showing under the top button of the flannel shirt. In his rush, Clark must have missed it. “Did I interrupt some daring rescue, Superman?”

“I'm not Superman right now,” Clark grumbled, but Lex wasn't really listening. He was too focused on what he could see of the suit, and maybe just a little on trying to picture what he couldn't.

He reached up to run a finger over the exposed material. He'd really never felt anything like it was sleek and incredibly soft but felt sturdier than any metal shielding he had ever worked with. “Amazing. I don't suppose you'd allow me a swatch to examine. To learn from for armor for the military of course.”

“No Lex I'm not letting you study my suit. Now you said you wanted to come and ask more questions, ask.”

Lex crossed to the couch and sat; reclining against the left arm like he owned it. “You know, Clark, if I didn't know better I'd think that you don't enjoy talking to me.”

Clark rolled his eyes in response. Then he took a seat at the other end of the couch, leaving one cushion as a buffer space between them.

Lex surveyed him a moment, he was sure he had never seen this Clark before. Without the glasses, he looked much more like the Clark that had been his friend. But this Clark was more relaxed, more confident. He wasn't hiding.

“Why doesn't anyone see you?” Lex finally asked. It covered his real question: _Why didn't I see you?_

Clark seemed to dim and when he was in focus again he was holding his glasses. “The glasses have alien tech in them. They make it so that people can't really focus on my features. When they look at me they can tell who I am but when I'm not around if they try and think about Clark Kent all they come up with is a vague sense of dark hair and glasses, no specific facial features.”

“But…”

“You've known me a very long time Lex, of course, you know what my face looks like,” Clark cut in, apparently predicting Lex’s confusion. “But the glasses still have an effect. You've faced Superman how many times and never saw me. For you the glasses make me blurred around the edges, still me but off.”

When Lex still looked confused Clark put the glasses on and it all suddenly made sense. The best Lex could come up with to describe what he was seeing was that Clark looked smudged. All his features were there but none of them were properly defined. His eyes were much duller than Lex knew they should be, and his lips… no Lex absolutely was not going to focus on those.

Clark slouched his shoulders and began the constant adjusting of his glasses. “Add the mannerisms, which were part of how I hid back in Smallville, and who in their right mind would ever think unassuming Clark Kent was Superman?” Clark concluded, straightening up and taking the glasses off.

Lex stared in shock for a while, his jaw slightly slack. “Why didn't I notice?”

“You mean in all the time we’ve spent hanging out the past few years? We aren't friends anymore, you had no reason to see the difference.”

Lex tried not to fidget in the long, uncomfortable silence that followed.

“Questions Lex,” Clark chimed softly.  “Unless you’re done, in which case I’d like my home back.”

“You said there were multiple reasons you were afraid to tell me.”

“Not a question.”

So those were the rules. If it wasn’t a question he didn’t get a response. “Why else?”

Clark sighed. “I had a lot of ways to rationalize not telling you, but the other big reason is a little involved. So this will be the last question."

“Fine. The last question _tonight_.” Lex wanted it very clear that he was far from done with these conversations.

“You remember that guy you had studying Kryptonite, Dr. Hamilton? And how sick the prolonged exposure to the rocks made him?”

Lex nodded.

“Right around then I told Pete about me. You remember him?”

“Yes Clark, I remember your little friend. I have a very good memory you know.”

Clark seemed about to make a retort but then think better of it.

“What?” Lex asked, a bit annoyed.

“Nope, just the one question tonight. Perhaps we’ll get into that another time.”

“Just hurry up and stop pausing to ask me if I remember, just assume that I do.”

“My ship was lost during the tornadoes at the end of my freshman year of high school. It turned up again a few months later when both Pete and Hamilton found the field it ended up in around the same time. Pete came to borrow our truck, said that he’d found something cool and needed help to move it. When I saw it I had to tell him the truth to get him to let me take it back to the farm. First he didn’t really seem like he wanted to believe me, but eventually, he came around.

“At first, it was great, having someone other than my parents who knew, who I could talk to; and Pete really seemed to be taking it pretty well. But eventually the awed ‘ _my best friend is faster than a car_ ’s, and the _‘my best friend can pick up a car_ ’s, turned into a, maybe not quite fearful but something close, ‘ _but he’s not even human_ ’ and finally the awe in the first two revelations gave way to envy and resent.

“A little over a year after I told him, not too long after you got back from the deserted island,  he wanted me to use my powers to help him steal some money to get him out of trouble he’d got himself into, and that wasn’t the only time he wanted to manipulate my abilities. A few weeks after that, he decided he couldn’t handle having an alien for a best friend and that he was going to move to another part of the state with his mother. There he didn’t have to deal with what I was.

“My powers had cost me one best friend already, and while we may not have been as close anymore at that point, there was no way I was letting them cost me you too.”

If Lex thought the last silence had been uncomfortable than this one was damn near excruciating. He was just about the smoothest talker there was but no matter how hard he tried Lex couldn’t come up with one thing to say to Clark. Mercifully Clark broke the silence again.

“I need to do one last circuit around the city. Then, based on what I do or don’t find, maybe get some sleep,” he said.  

“So you sleep?” Lex asked, to cover the loss of his composure.

Clark gave a dry smile and said, “No more questions tonight.” He crossed to the door and held it open. “Goodnight, Lex.” Then as Lex left he asked “Our deal still stands? I let you come back and you keep my secret?”

Lex just nodded, he wasn't sure he could form a proper sentence around Clark right now. It wasn't until he was seated him his car that he managed to speak. “I'm sorry about Pete,” he said, no doubt in his mind that Clark heard from wherever he was.


	9. Chapter 9

Being a journalist Clark didn't always work a Monday-Friday 9-5 schedule. With all the travel and interviews, his days off were erratic. So, to maximize the available time for questioning Lex had discreetly looked into his schedule for the next week. He found Clark had the coming Wednesday off. Lex hoped it would have been Saturday or Sunday so he would only have to wait a day or two instead of five but so be it.  
****************  
Lex was knocking on Clark's door at seven sharp Wednesday morning, casually sipping his coffee.

“Lex, I just got in from patrol,” Clark answered.

“Fantastic, then you have time now, it being your day off and all.” Lex slipped past Clark and took his spot on the left of the couch.

“How did you know it was my day… never mind, stupid question.” Clark was opening the curtains, filling the room with the early morning sun. “So questions,” he said moving to the couch.

Lex had expected him to sit at the other end of the couch like last week. He was stunned when Clark laid with his legs hanging off the side of the couch, his head on the cushion that had separated them last time. His eyes closed against the patch of sunlight that fell over his face.

“What the hell are you doing?” Lex decidedly did not yelp.

“Charging,” Clark said with a contented sigh. “Since you seem opposed to letting me get any sleep.”

“Charging?”

Clark pointed out the window. “My powers are solar based.”

“So you don't need to sleep?”

“Need to, no. Want to, yes. Did you really want to ask about my sleep habits?”

“No.” Lex paused, trying to recall his questions and not at all staring at the way the sun glinted off Clark’s hair. “Umm…”

“If you take much longer I'm going to fall asleep.”

“Who knows?”

“My parents knew when they found me with my ship.

“I didn’t know growing up. I knew I was strong and fast. But it wasn’t until a Porsche ran me off a bridge at 65 miles per hour and I didn’t feel a single thing that I realized that there was something really weird going on with me.

“Then there was that reporter you hired to look into me, you know the one that tried to kill my dad and me. I told you how Pete found out…”

“What were you going to say the other night?” Lex interrupted.

Clark cracked open one eye to look at Lex upside down. “Huh?”

“The other night when you were explaining how the Ross kid knowing kept you from telling me about your powers. I got annoyed with you stopping to ask if I remembered every other sentence and you looked like you were going to say something. When I asked, you said that was for another time. Now it's another time.”  
Clark looked confused for a minute before recognition dawned, then gave way to worry. “I don't… I umm… You…” Clark sighed. “I was going to say that your memory isn't as great as you think it is.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Clark sat up, withdrawing to his side of the couch. “You knew,” he muttered, so soft Lex wasn't sure he heard right for a moment.

“I knew?”

“There were times you found out, and then forgot. Like when you were experimenting with Kryptonite and it split you into two people.

“There was the darker you, and he - you, whatever tried to blow me up. When it didn't work you - he figured it out, even worked out the effect Kryptonite had on me and tried to kill me. But when you merged again you had forgotten everything the dark half had done.”

Lex could tell there was more, something Clark didn't want him to know. “When else?” When Clark didn't answer he said “I played by your stupid rules Clark, I asked a question. Now you said ‘times’, more than one, when else?”

“Please don't ask that. You don't want the answer.”

“I think I do. Now the deal is I don't tell and you answer my questions. Now, unless you're ready for the world to know who Superman is on his days off, when else?”

“When you started to figure out what Lionel had done to your grandparents.”

“Why did I forget?”

“Lex, just leave it alone.”

“I can call Perry right now,” Lex said pulling out his phone. “Do you think he’ll make you write the article yourself?”

“When you first put the pieces together your father started to have you drugged so that no one would believe you. So that what you knew would sound like the paranoid ravings of a madman, going through a psychotic break, brought on by being stranded alone on an island all summer…”

“So I forgot because of whatever dear old dad was slipping me?”

“No, that's why you found out. At the height of your mania, you decided to confront Morgan Edge, about his involvement, on your own. I followed you there, and when you shot him while he was behind the wheel of a car and continued to stand in front of the car as it sped at you, there was nothing I could do but throw myself in front of it and stop it from hitting you. When Dr. Foster came you were so strung out you kept going on about what you’d seen but I had already run away. So you got locked up in Belle Reve.

“I thought you’d be ok there. That maybe when you sobered up you’d attribute whatever you remembered to the drugs. But when I visited you were adamant about what you'd seen.

“Then I found out that Lionel wanted to put you through shock therapy, to make you forget what you knew, and I didn't know what to do. My parents thought I should let it happen that it would probably make you forget about me too. By the time I decided I couldn't and I got there it was too late.”  
Lex was suffering from information overload. “You left me in an insane asylum,” he said dazedly. Then his grey eyes went hard as it settled in. “You left me in an insane asylum! You weighed the benefits of leaving me to get my brain fried! You let me… I could have become a vegetable.” At some point, Lex had gotten to his feet, crossed the couch, and now stood looking down at Clark. “Some hero! How many lives is your secret worth, exactly? How many losses are acceptable as long as you get your anonymity?”

“It isn't like that!” Clark argued. “I was a dumb, scared kid! I tried to get to you but some of the inmates were meteor mutants I had stopped and they got in the way. By the time I reached you it was done.”

“I bet you could have made it on time if you didn't stop to debate if I was worth saving,” Lex snarled, then turned on his heel and stormed out.

“I am so screwed,” Clark muttered to the empty apartment, collapsing back into the sunlight on the couch.


	10. Chapter 10

Lex had his plan figured out before he’d even arrived at the LexCorp office later that morning. Clark had to pay, this couldn't stand. 

Two months later and everything was done. Not a single word of the planning had been spoken aloud or paid for with anything but cash. Several different teams of contractors had been used for each aspect of his revenge so that no one but him knew what it was or what it was for. But today was the day, it was all going to pay off. 

“Mercy, call a press conference. I have some information I think everyone would find quite interesting,” Lex said to his empty office. Then sat at his desk, a portion of the glass wall behind him left open. 

It was too easy. Less than a minute later a blur of red and blue streaked through the window and Superman landed in front of him. 

“Don't do this, we had a deal.” He was saying as soon as his feet touched the ground. 

“To my understanding, the deal was I keep this to myself while I come and ask questions. Maybe you haven't noticed, but I haven't asked a question in months. But don't worry Clark, no one else is coming.”

“But you told Mercy….” 

“You know the interesting thing about intercoms, the person on the other end can't hear you unless you’re holding down the button,” Lex said. He tapped the panel on his desk and the wall opened to expose his safe. “You know Clark you really made this so easy.” He pressed his palm against the scanner. “It's almost disappointing.” 

The door to the safe sprung open, exposing the vials of Kryptonite inside. Clark paled and swayed on his feet. 

“What are you doing?”  Clark groaned. 

Lex got up and moved around his desk. “You don't look so good,  _ Superman _ .” The same venom laced the name as the first time he’d ever hovered at the window. “Maybe you should sit down.” He gave Clark a hard shove that sent him stumbling into the vault, and Clark landed on the floor in a heap. Lex hurried forward to slam the door before he could get up. 

There were faint thumps Lex assumed was Clark’s fists against the door. “Open... the… door!” The words were likely meant to sound commanding if it weren't for the pained gasps that punctuated each. 

“You of all people should know that I don't respond to orders, Clark.” 

“Lex, please,” Clark groaned in a tone that sent an electric jolt down the older man’s spine. “I c… I… I can't … breathe.”

Lex crossed to his desk, using the panel to close the section of the glass wall Clark had entered through. He was in the process of blacking out the windows when he heard a clatter from the safe. He was pretty sure was Clark passing out and the knot that formed in his stomach had to be from excitement, right? 

When Lex opened the safe the whole office was bathed in an eerie green light. Clark had pulled down the shelf when he fell and several of the vials had smashed, their content splattering all over his suit and cape. Something in Lex’s chest tightened when he saw that the younger man had gone that same sickly shade of green he had when Lex confronted him, and dark circles had sprung up under his eyes. His breathing was shallow and labored, his chest barely moving in time with the rasps; and his dark bangs clung to his sweat-dampened forehead. 

Lex looked down at the unconscious alien and realized that his  meticulous plan had one glaring oversight. How the hell was he supposed move Clark? He could call Mercy in, but his stomach sank at the thought. This is was private, and he still didn’t want anyone else to know.  There was really only one thing to do. But it was so undignified, he first had to make sure there was no way any evidence of it was left after he was done. 

He went back to his desk - god he was really getting tired of the walk between his desk and the safe - and used his computer to access the building security systems. Then overrode the cameras in his office, the room just outside the door where Mercy’s desk was, the private elevator that went directly from there to the private garage, and all of the ones in the garage. He also corrupted the recording of his office over the past several minutes.

“Mercy,” he called over the intercom. “Have a tinted SUV pulled up to my personal elevator, I feel like a drive.”

“An SUV Lex? Not something a little sportier?” Mercy suggested helpfully.

“I said the damn SUV Mercy!” He snapped. Then much gentler,  “And after you’ve called it why don’t you go to lunch.”

“Yes sir, “ was her withdrawn reply. 

“Thank you, Mercy.” Lex was pretty sure that was the first time he’d ever thanked her for anything but he almost felt bad. She’d gone everywhere with him since her employment began and suddenly he starts sneaking around on his own for months? She really was a phenomenal assistant, and head of security but now she seemed to think she wasn’t trusted. 

He waited until he could hear the heels of her short boots clicking away before he went into the safe, seized the unconscious man’s ankles, and pulled. Fuck, this guy weighed a ton! How the hell did he manage to stay airborne?  It took over five minutes just to get him to the office door and another three to get across the little room with Mercy’s desk. The elevator ride was a welcomed, but altogether too short, break and once the doors opened to the black Escalade idling at the bottom he almost reconsidered his whole plan just so he wouldn’t have to lift Clark’s dead weight into the car. 

_ Eighteen. _ It took eighteen damned minutes for him to leave the office, with Clark’s body sprawled unceremoniously across the backseat. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Clark groaned. The world really needed to stop swaying now. The best he could tell he was lying on some kind of hard, slab seemed the best word. He stretched out his fingers, feeling for the edges, finding it was not much wider than he was. He didn't want to open his eyes afraid that the searing pain his head would get impossibly worse. 

“Well, that took long enough.” Clark hadn’t heard Lex’s heartbeat, still couldn’t. “I mean really Clark, six hours? I rebound faster than that.”

Clark finally opened his eyes and immediately regretted his decision. It was entirely too bright, and his pupils burned before finally adjusting. He lifted an arm to rub the heel of his hand across his brow and saw his forearms were bare. His suit was gone! Looking down at himself he saw he was wearing faded blue cover-alls and white sneakers with no laces, an outfit he had seen before. So he wasn’t surprised when he sat up to tiny and all too familiar, surroundings. The slab he had been lying on - meant to be some type of bed - was up against the shortest of three concrete walls. The fourth wall, barely a half dozen paces ahead of where he now sat, was clear and revealed Lex, lounging against the hallway wall, arms folded over his chest. 

Clark still couldn’t hear Lex’s heart. When he tried, he couldn’t see through Lex either. When he narrowed his eyes, steadying himself to melt through the wall, Lex gave a harsh laugh. 

“None of that is going to work.” Lex’s shark-ish grin was coming back. “You broke a few of the vials of Kryptonite, splattered it all over that suit of yours. It was sapping your energy for a couple hours while I brought you here: an exact recreation of my cell at Belle Reve.”

“I’m sorry left…” 

“It’s underground and lead-lined, and everything,” Lex continued, as though Clark hadn’t started speaking. “So even though it’s been  _ six hours _ ,” Clark's slow recovery seemed to have offended him or something, “since you’ve been away from the stuff there’s been no sun to recharge you. You now have about as many powers as I do. Now I have a company to get back to running, but I’ll be back in a day or so.”

“Come on Lex,” Clark said, crossing the cell on unsteady legs, leaning heavily on transparent wall. “You can’t be serious. This doesn’t seem like overkill to you? I know what I did was messed up but,  I was sixteen! You didn’t do anything you regretted when you were sixteen?”

“Nothing as bad as leaving my friend to be committed when I could prevent it.”

“You didn’t have any friends,” Clark grumbled. It was a low blow and he knew it. He was just so damn tired, he couldn’t keep a lid on his temper. But the hurt that crossed Lex’s face for an instant twisted Clark’s stomach knots. “Jeez, I didn’t mean that.”

But Lex had already turned to leave. He’d taken about a dozen steps when he stopped and turned back. Clark, moronically let himself think for a second that he’d changed his mind. That hope died when he saw the hard glint in Lex’s eyes.

“I almost forgot,” Lex said in a detached voice, and chucked a water bottle and a plastic-wrapped squashed sandwich he’d pulled from his pocket, through a tiny opening in the plexiglass. Then he turned and stalked out. 


	11. Chapter 11

Clark devoured the sandwich the moment Lex was out of view. Then drained the water bottle in just a few swallows, immediately wishing he’d made it last instead. God knew when Lex would be back, and if he’d bring anything more. It wasn't until some hours later when the pressure started to build right below his stomach, that Clark realized the more pressing reason he shouldn’t have chugged the water.

First, he tried to just ignore it. If he didn't think about it maybe it would just go away, that happened sometimes. For an hour or two, maybe a little more, that seemed to work, he could almost pretend that it wasn’t a problem. But then the pressure wouldn’t be ignored anymore and he started to pace around the empty cell.

“Just stop thinking about it,” he muttered. “Don’t think about it, think about something else.”

His mind cast around for anything else to focus on. Anything, anything… no not the scar over Lex’s lip! Something else. Flying. That was good he could focus on flying. Soaring, with the whole world sprawled out beneath him. The wind roaring in his ears, whipping through his hair, pulling on his cape. The sun hot on the back of his neck, seeping into his skin, into every cell, imbuing him with incredible powers. That was probably his favorite feeling in the world. Clark loved the sun. Not just for the incomparable abilities it gifted him, but also for the sense of belonging that came along with them.

Finding out what he was had been one of the worst things that had happened to him when he was younger. He loved the Kents with all his heart but he hadn't been able to stop himself from feeling like he didn't belong there with them. Knowing that his people were mostly gone, that Jor-El and Lara were dead, he had felt empty and alone. But the sun that this planet circled had shared these awesome feats with only him, so maybe he was allowed to call Earth home too.

But now it was gone. Lex had stolen that feeling from him by locking him away from the sun. Lex and his stupid sandwich, and his stupid water, and… aw hell, now Clark was thinking about it again. He paced faster, and started bouncing on the balls of his feet, hoping continuous motion would lessen the weight building on his bladder. “Something else, something else,” he murmured. But there was nothing else. He couldn't ignore it anymore. Now he just had to try to wait.

Waiting was painful. Clark had no idea how long it had been, but it was long enough that what had started as a slight pressure just south of the pit of his stomach had grown to a much sharper aching sensation that was spreading further downward. He screwed his eyes shut and grabbed fistfuls of his hair. He pulled hard hoping desperately that the pain of it would work as another distraction. Apparently, it did because a little while later Clark jumped when he heard Lex clearing his throat right outside the cell.

“Rough night?” Lex smirked when Clark turned his head to look at him.

Clark couldn't even concentrate long enough to come up with anything to say back. So instead he just flipped Lex off while he continued to pace.

Lex rolled his eyes. “Wow Clark, that was some comeback, your wit is truly baffling. In fact, it inspires me to open the door and let you out of there.”

Clark twisted to face Lex, mouth open to tell him to go screw himself but stopped when he saw Lex entering a code on the keypad in the hall. Clark stared open-mouthed, trying his best to fight against the sliver of hope he felt building. Lex had to be playing him but what was the point? When a light on the pad flashed green and part of the wall swung open Clark gaped at it for a moment before slowly walking forward.

It took Clark a minute to actually leave the cell, he kept stopping every other step. While he waited Lex made a show examining his fingernails and checking his watch before casually sliding his hands into pockets.

Clark paused not even a yard past the door, blinking confusedly as he turned to face Lex. It was a few more seconds before the confusion faded and was replaced with hostility. He marched forward to shove Lex back against the wall, but the instant he touched the smaller man his stomach twisted, and Clark saw his veins start to stand out sickly against the quickly paling skin of his hands on Lex’s shoulders. His vision blurred ominously before he stepped back letting his hands slip away. As soon as his hands returned to his sides the pain stopped. He looked up to see Lex smirking while he pulled the small lead box from his pocket.

“Not that I really think you could cause me any serious harm in your current state,” Lex said, “or that you could even find your way out of this place. But I thought that this,” he gave the box a little rattle, “would serve as an excellent deterrent to keep you from even trying.”

Clark just glared, the flash of weakness had required even further attention be paid to his current situation and he was determined not to cross his ankles and bounce his knees.

Lex started down the hall and after about a dozen paces called, “Well, are you just going to stand there?” over his shoulder. Clark started after him, his steps jerking and awkward.

They walked for a while, Clark tried to keep track of the turns they made but lost track after the first minute or two. This place must be like a maze, probably what Lex had meant when he wasn’t worried that Clark would find his way out. So he just stared at Lex’s back wishing desperately that he had even a hint of his powers. Maybe just enough for one tiny little spark of heat vision across the seat of Lex pants, that would be immensely gratifying he was sure. Not that it mattered, he didn’t have his powers and no amount of daydreaming was going to change that.

God, where the hell were they going! Despite his efforts, Clark took up bouncing on the balls of his feet again as they walked. This was ridiculous, Lex was ridiculous. He was moronic and spiteful, and… and…  -Lex stopped and pushed open a door on his left- … oh, thank God! Clark rushed into the small bathroom and slammed the door behind him.

He really wasn’t sure he was going to be able to make it as he fumbled with the cover-alls. But at last, he was free and sighed with relief. When he was finished he made his way to the tiny shower area. The water pressure sucked and the temperature was barely lukewarm, but he supposed it was better than nothing. Looking around as he stepped out Clark noticed a shelf with a towel and blessedly a fresh set of cover-alls. Once dressed he found a toothbrush when he had finished with that Clark finally took a minute to examine his reflection in the mirror above the sink.

It wasn’t good, Clark decided. His skin was pale, not as bad as when he got around Kryptonite, but definitely several shades lighter than it usually was and puffy shadows had formed under his eyes.

 _Bang, bang, bang._ Clark jumped, tearing his eyes away from his own, at the loud pounding on the door.

“Hurry up, Kent,” Lex called.

Clark took one last look in the mirror, before turning and opening the door. He followed Lex back down the halls then stopped when they turned back down the corridor that lead to his cell, head shaking frantically.

“Lex, I’m sorry!” He pleaded, voice shaky. “I don’t know what else you want me to say or do but, god, Lex please.”

Lex didn’t answer, acted like he didn’t even hear Clark, and continued down the hall. He stopped by the keypad on the wall, back still to Clark. Clark took a step back, looking around, getting ready to run, but a light clinking sound called his attention to Lex who was holding up the small lead box, thumb pressing threateningly at the lid. Hanging his head Clark dragged his feet forward back into the tiny room and dropped to sit on the hard ‘bed’. Lex tossed in another sandwich and water bottle, then shut the door.  Once Lex had vanished from sight Clark laid down on the slab, and was asleep moments later.

It was a deep sleep, the kind that leaves you waking up wondering if a few minutes had passed or several hours. The windowless underground prison that Clark was trapped in did not make it any easier to figure out. He decided it was probably quite a few hours since he hadn’t slept at all since being brought here, and if what Lex said was the case that had been at least overnight.

Clark sat up slowly, his head feeling slightly off-balance - is this what dizzy was- and reached for the sandwich and water. He was not going to repeat the same mistake as last night. He only ate half the sandwich and took a just a few small sips of the water. He stood and stretched, then looked around the tiny cell, realized he had nothing to do but pace, and laid back down on the cool metal.

The wait for Lex seemed much shorter now, that ‘nap’ must have been pretty long. By the time he came again Clark had long since finished eating but had only had about two-thirds of his water. Neither of them spoke while Lex keyed open the cell. For his part, Clark just didn’t want to be the first to speak, and he was pretty sure it was the same for Lex. So now it was a race to see just who was more stubborn.

They walked in silence to the tiny bathroom, Clark able to pay more attention to the route this time. After his shower, in the mirror over the sink, he saw the bags under his eyes had darkened despite the sleep he'd gotten, causing his eyes to seem as though they’d sunken into his skull; making their green color appear to dull. Clark finally lost the battle of wills as the turned back down the hall to his private prison.

“Lex, there are few things I regret more in life than what I let happen to you. If I could go back and change it I would, I swear. I wish I had never even let you end up in this place, but even with my powers I can’t change what happened, and this won’t change it either. So, please, just stop this.”

“Of course nothing can change what you did Clark,” Lex said. “This isn’t about changing the past.” He lapsed back into silence while Clark trudged back into the little room, left yet another sandwich and water, then left.

*********************************

 _Six days_. That’s how long Clark guessed he’d been down here. Lex was a creature of habit and was likely coming at about the same time each day, and every time was exactly the same. The last time Clark had nearly taken the turns to the small restroom (the only other part of this place he’d ever seen) ahead of Lex, then Lex would leave some food and a water and leave. Clark had stopped apologizing and trying to convince Lex to let him out days ago.

Clark was tired of pacing, and of sitting/laying on that awful metal sheet that tried to pass itself off as a bed. So now he was sitting with his back in the corner, arms around his knees, drifting in and out of consciousness. He was getting weaker -he’d started to feel it around the third… fourth… no, the third day- he could feel the energy draining from him the more time he was spending away from the sun. His last time in the tiny bathroom Clark saw that he was paler still and the circles under his eyes had developed to the point it looked like someone had punched him, twice, and his eyes looked sort of glassy. His cheeks had gone hollow too so that he looked gaunt and almost skeletal. He was tired all the time now and had been having less and less of the food Lex had been leaving. The most recent sandwich sat untouched in the middle of the tiny room. Lex had left this one saying something about tomorrow being important. But Clark lacked the ability to concentrate long enough to even try and think about what that may have meant.

Clark couldn’t figure out if he thought he’d spent more time conscious or un by the time the faint beeping of the keypad alerted him to Lex’s return. He didn’t even know if he thought it seemed to have taken a long time or not, even if he thought it was likely it had been about twenty-four hours, and he was probably imagining that Lex seemed to be avoiding looking at him for more than a second or so.

“Lex, I think I might be dying.” Clark’s voice what thick and rough from lack of use. “Please, I need to get out into the sun.”

Lex didn’t say anything for a time, while he keyed in the door code. When he finally did speak it was just to say that based on how Clark looked he was right to think he didn’t need the Kryptonite. Then he’d turned and started down the hall, expecting Clark to follow through the now open door.

It’s not that Clark wasn’t glad to hear that Lex hadn’t brought any Kryptonite, but it had nothing to do with what he’d just said. But he dragged himself to his feet and set off after Lex without saying anything more. The soles of Clark's shoes squeaked loudly as he dragged his feet down the hall.

Clark stopped, leaning against the wall to keep himself upright when he realized that they had just turned the wrong way to be going to the bathroom. “Where are we going?” He asked roughly. But Lex just kept walking in silence forcing Clark to push off down the hall to keep up or risk being lost in the maze of this place.

When Lex finally opened the door to their destination, Clark starred in wide eyes terror at another all to familiar room.

This room was smaller and darker than the one he’d spent his last week in. On the opposite wall, there was another door and a small window that led to the little control room beyond. In the middle of this room was an exam table with straps for arms and legs, and a headpiece covered in wires. Now he understood that this wasn’t just about feeling trapped and powerless the way Lex had, but he had to go through everything the older man had.

Clark stumbled back from the door, terrified and bordering on hyperventilating. Maybe he could run for it, Lex had said he didn’t have any meteor rock. But what if he was lying? Even if he wasn’t where would Clark even go? He only knew the way between his cell and the bathroom, and if he could find his way to one of those places how exactly would that help him? He took a few long deep breaths, then slowly walked into the room and over to the table. “You don’t have to do this,” he whispered hoarsely. “I know what I let happen here was bad but, _please…”_ Clark’s voice cracked but Lex gave no indication that he was even listening. Shoulders slumped, Clark lifted himself onto the table. This time he was pretty sure Lex was deliberately avoiding his eyes while he did up the restraints and connected the electrical leads to his head.

“It’s ok, Lex,” Clark said, quietly, when he heard the door to the control room open. Lex’s footsteps stopped. “I understand, I’m sorry.” Then the door slammed and a low hum of machines drawing electricity filled the room.

Clark screwed his eyes shut. He had been electrocuted before but it had been a long time since it felt like anything more than a tingling in his skin. Even the first time his powers had transferred to Eric Summers his invulnerability was already coming online. But he had still been able to bruise sometimes back then, and it had required Kryptonite exposure, so it would probably feel something like that… that hadn’t been fun.  

The humming died down, and Clark was sure that meant the equipment had pulled enough power. He curled his fingers into fists and took several deep settling breaths. _Just like transferring power to Summers,_ he silently chanted. _Just like…_

This was Nothing like giving his powers to Eric. Clark’s jaw clamped down so hard it was a miracle his teeth hadn’t shattered. His body twisted and arched trying to find some way to get away from sensation, his limb straining futilely against the straps. Then the pain was over as suddenly as it had begun and Clark could hear the hum start up again as more electricity was drawn in for another go.

Clark flopped back onto the table, panting and groaning, hair clinging to sweat that had suddenly broken out on his forehead. His eyes were watering, tears sliding straight back into his hair. “I don’t know that I can survive any more of this, Lex,” he moaned painfully. _Please let it be enough._ But there was no answer and soon the hum had stopped. Clark set his jaw and his muscles tensed and he waited for the pain to come.

He just kept waiting and nothing happened. His arms were aching from the tension he held in them, so he chanced to let them relax. He was flexing the fingers on his right hand when he realized the strap was gone. No sooner had he come to that realization then he felt the restraint on his left arm fall away. Clark shoved his torso up in time to see a red hoodie-clad kid come to a stop by his feet and free them.

“Hiya Clark!” Bart grinned. “No offense but, you look like shit.”

“Where’s Lex?” Clark groaned, pushing himself upright, and swinging his leg over the side of the table to sit up. He looked at the window to the control room: it was covered in cracks, spider webbing away from an arrow that was lodged in the glass not an inch to the side of Lex’s left ear.

Lex was standing impossibly still -Clark wasn’t even sure he was breathing- his hand hovering over the controls, an arrow trained on the back of his head by the man wearing a green hood behind him.

“Impulse,” Oliver said in his disguised Green Arrow voice, “get him out of here. I’ll deal with Luthor.”

“No, Lex.” Clark had to stop Oliver. He pushed himself off the table but the moment his feet touched the ground everything turned sideways, then went dark.


	12. Chapter 12

Bart rushed forward and grabbed Clark before his head hit the ground. With how he looked a hit like that could probably have killed him.

“Get him out of here!” Oliver instructed again, a harsh snap in his voice.

“I’m going, I’m going. No need to get snippy GA, I heard you the first time,” Bart said, hoisting up Clark so he was leaning on his shoulder.

Jesus, Clark was heavy! It took Bart almost two whole minutes to pull him the fifty miles from where Luthor had been keeping him to the Kent farm. It was a little after four and only a couple of hours left of daylight when he finally lowered Clark, sprawled out, onto the roof of the barn, then ran inside to ask Mrs. Kent if she had any snacks; that had burned up a lot of calories.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Clark woke just in time to see the last of the light disappear behind the horizon. He cautiously made his way down from the roof, still not feeling all that invulnerable, and made his way to the house. Catching a glimpse of his reflection in the kitchen window, on the way in the back door, Clark was relieved to see his face was starting to fill out again, although he still thought it was a far cry from how he usually looked. He flinched and stumbled back when his mother threw her arms around him the moment he set foot in the kitchen. “Ow, mom, careful,” he winced, sliding an arm around her and resting his head on her shoulder. “I’ll be okay, just need to rest up a little.” He tried to smile reassuringly at her when they finally broke apart but based on her expression he didn’t think it worked.

“Come sit down,” his mom ushered him toward the table, where Bart was sitting with a whole tray of brownies in front of him.

“Some of those had better be for me,” he joked.

“Not a chance,” Bart scoffed pulling the tray closer to himself.

“You shouldn’t be having anything that rich right now anyway,” his mother said behind him, pulling dishes down from the cabinets. There were a few more moments of dishes clattering, and then a bowl of soup and a slice of bread were placed in front of him and a glass of water a few seconds after that. Clark stared longingly at the brownies for another few seconds before tearing off a piece of bread and dipping it into the soup.

Clark ate in silence for a while, trying to figure out from Bart’s demeanor what had happened to Lex. He didn’t really think he could just out and ask if Oliver had killed him. But when he’d dunked the final chunk of bread and there was probably less than a third of the soup left he gave up his observations. “So, uh, what happened after I blacked out?” He asked, hoping that he sounded at least somewhat indifferent.

“I brought you here,” Bart said around a mouthful of brownies. Then turned to Martha to say, “Seriously Mrs. Kent these are some of the best brownies I ever had.”

“What did Oliver do?” Clark asked, not even close to satisfied with the answer he got.

“I don’t know. He just told me to get you outta there so I did. Called to check in while you were still out on the roof though, said he’d come by tomorrow and see how you’re doing.”

Clark nodded and drank down the rest of his soup. “Thanks, mom,” he said, clearing his dishes to the sink. He was grabbing the sponge to wash them when his head started swimming and he had to grab the countertop to stay upright.

“I’ll take care of those, sweetheart,” Martha said, coming up beside him. “You just go get some sleep, okay.”

Clark nodded and kissed her on the cheek. “You headed back to Central City tonight, Bart?” He asked at the foot of the stairs.

“Nope, GA’s orders are to stay here and keep an eye on things. I’ll catch a few Z’s on the couch.”

Clark nodded again and dragged himself up the stairs to his old room. He didn’t think he was going to be able to get much sleep, worrying about what happened to Lex, but the moment he collapsed on to the long outgrown bed he fell into a deep sleep.

*************************************

Groaning as he woke, Clark stubbornly kept his eyes shut tight. It had been such a good dream and if he didn’t open his eyes yet he could just pretend that he was back home with his mother and Bart right downstairs, instead of locked away in some hole in the ground. He shifted, flexing the sleep out of the muscles of his arms, enjoying the satisfying creek of the bed springs beneath him.

Wait… He twisted again. Creak.

Clark finally opened his eyes to find himself on his top small bed in his room in the farmhouse. It hadn’t been a dream! It really was over. The sun was high, late in the morning or maybe even turning to afternoon, and he worried that he’d missed his chance to question Oliver about what he’d done after Bart left with him. He was planning to make his way downstairs when he saw that he was still in the Belle Reve cover-alls.

Course correcting to the shower, he ended up soaking under the spray until the water turned cold. Then with a towel wrapped around his waist, went to see what clothes he had left here; it was all faded denim and slightly snug flannel, but anything was better than those cover-alls. Turning his attention to the offending garment Clark tested how much sun he absorbed by trying to burn it with his heat vision, nothing happened. Looking very much like he was back in high school, Clark made his way outside to lay in the grass under the sun.

He was quite happily feeling the warmth of the radiation seeping into his skin about half an hour later when a shadow fell over his face. Clark looked up to see Oliver standing over him, the blond did not look happy.

“Hey Oli,” Clark tried a grin but Oliver didn’t really seem interested in the pleasantries. That was fine though. “What’d you do after Bart pulled me out of there?” He asked, sitting up with his leg folded in front of him.

“Blew up the entrances so that it’s sealed,” Oliver told him.

“That’s not what I was asking about and you know it,” Clark said. “What happened to Lex?”

“Why do you care what I did with _Luthor_?!” he emphasized the name like he was criticizing Clark's familiarity with the billionaire, which he probably was. “I should never have listened to you and gone ahead with bugging his office when he figured it out. I mean for shit's sake, Clark, he kidnapped you and tried to kill you!”

Clark heard a gasp and looked up to see his mother coming out with a lemonade for him. Apparently, no one had told her what happened.

“He wasn’t trying to kill me,” Clark said, not sure who he was trying to convince more; Oliver, his mother, or himself. But he looked to his mother when he said, “I told him about what happened at Belle Reve, he was hurt.”

“He was hurt!?” Oliver snapped. “Look at yourself, you look half dead. He did this to you! Luthor’s a monster!”

“And I did it to him!!” Clark yelled. “Everything that he did to me, I did to him. He found out about my powers once when I was 16 so I let him get locked up in an insane asylum. Then I left him there to go through ECT so that maybe he’d forget. So if he’s a monster Oli what does that make me?”

His mother knelt down beside him and stroked his hair. “You’re not a monster Clark; you were young and scared.”

Clark leaned his head into his mother's touch. “So maybe Lex isn't either,” he said softly. “Now what did you do to him, Oliver?”

“I didn’t _do_ anything,” Oliver sighed in exasperation. “I have him in a holding cell at my Base of Ops.”

Clark got to his feet, ready to run halfway across the country to Starling City, but when he tried to start moving he overbalanced and fell back to the ground with a groan. It seemed he would probably need a for more days to recover.

“Are you going to be okay?” Oliver asked. When Clark nodded he continued, “Alright, well I need to get back to Starling and to being Green Arrow there. I can ask Bart to stay here and keep an eye on things.”

“No,” Clark said, “he should get back to Central City. We’ll be fine here. I should be up to full strength in no time.”

“If you’re sure,” Oliver agreed, then turned to leave.

“You know you can’t just keep him locked up indefinitely,” Clark called as his friend reached the gate.

“Don’t be so sure,” Oliver muttered hoping that Clark’s hearing hadn’t come back online yet.

With Oliver gone and his mom back inside Clark laid back in the grass once more to continue absorbing sunlight for a few more hours. When he finally did go back inside he found Bart at the table with one of his mother’s cherry pies.

“Bart, you really need to stop making my mom bake for you,” Clark said shaking his head and taking a seat at the kitchen table.

“Oh I don’t mind at all,” Martha smiled. “It’s not every day I get to bake for a teenager anymore. I sort of miss it.”

“Laying on the ‘I don’t visit you enough’ guilt a little thick there aren’t you mom?” Clark grinned, then sighed. “I don’t suppose I get to have any of that either?” He gestured to the pie.

“Nope,” Bart grinned, “this is my calorie boost for the run back to Central City.”

“You should still be taking easy with the heavy foods anyway, Clark,” his mother tutted over him. “How about a nice sandwich?”

“No!” Clark said a little too sharply, making both Martha and Bart jump. “Sorry. Um- is there any soup left?”

“Sure, Clark.”

“I didn’t mean to snap mom, I just have been having a lot of sandwiches lately.”

“It’s alright, honey,” she said, putting the soup on the stove to warm.

Clark passed the time waiting for the soup testing his abilities. So far it seemed he had his x-ray vision back. He could hear about as far as crater lake, not too bad. He was in the middle of bending and straightening his spoon -that he’d been able to do since kindergarten so it would need some boosting- when his mother placed the soup and bread on the table in front of him.

“Clark, I’ve been telling you practically since you landed not to do that,” she chastised, swatting his hair.

“Sorry mom,” Clark muttered, setting it right and dipping it into the soup. “So, Bart?”

“Yeah?” He mumbled around a bite of pie.

“How did you and Oliver find me?”

“Well, Chlo called, frantic, when you missed two days of work and there was no report of Superman anywhere else in the world. Obviously, Oliver suspected Luthor first so he had me bug his office; even used one of his supervisor new experimental, undetectable ones in the control panel on the desk. But when we didn’t hear anything about you or Supes I kind of thought Oli was just being paranoid. After another couple days, I even went to check your Fortress. Do you have any idea how cold that place is to everyone else? Anyway, when Oliver noticed Luthor kept going out without any security he sent me to follow and I that’s how I found that bunker place, we figured that he must have been keeping you there. That was two days ago. So the fact that we got there yesterday while he was in the middle of… all that was just luck.”

Clark was pretty sure he understood most of that. Bart talked really fast and half of what he’d said was through a mouthful of food. But to him, it kind of sounded like Oliver had just been waiting for something to blame on Lex.


	13. Chapter 13

“It’s okay, Lex. I understand I’m sorry.”

Lex felt like someone poured ice water through his veins and paused, hand on the door to the control room, at Clark’s words. The weight at the pit of his stomach that he kept telling himself was excitement dropped to somewhere below his feet at the resignation, and pain in the other man’s voice.

Shaking his head to clear it Lex ordered his body forward and slammed the door shut behind him. He had to stick to the plan, he had come this far and it was almost over now.

Lex couldn’t delude himself anymore that the churning in his stomach was excitement or nerves; not when he felt nauseated, beyond what he’d felt in a plummeting airplane, watching Clark twist and strain against the pain. When the current stopped, Lex had an overwhelming desire to clamp his hands over his in an attempt to block out the agonized pants and whimpers from the other room and his heart clogged his throat when he heard Clark speak.

“I don’t know that I can survive any more of this, Lex.”

Oh, fuck! He had thought that Clark was being dramatic back in the cell. But Lex could see it now there really was a very real possibility that he was dying.

This was over! He had to shut everything down and get Clark outside. Lex was reaching for the kill switch -to power down the whole system- when the arrow whistled past his ear and buried itself in the glass. He could hear a bowstring being drawn as he assumed another arrow was being aimed at his back.

 _“Don’t move,”_ the digitally masked voice spoke behind him.

He stood frozen to the spot, his hand nearly touching the button that would cut the electricity to the system.

 _“How does it turn off?”_ The Green Arrow asked.

“This button right here,” Lex flexed the fingers of his right hand slightly to indicate the one he had been about to push.

_“You must really think I’m stupid to believe that.”_

Lex barely contained himself from commenting that he thought the vigilante stupid anyway; then his attention was drawn to something red streaking around the other room, and the straps on Clark’s arms fell away.

A kid dressed in red -Lex guesses he couldn’t be much older than eighteen/nineteen- with a hoodie pulled low over his face came to a stop by Clark’s legs, freeing those restraints as well.

“Hiya Clark! No offense but, you look like shit.”

“Where’s Lex?”

Lex watched wide-eyed as Clark turned to him, suddenly terrified of hate he was sure he’d see in the once brilliantly green eyes. But instead, Clark’s eyes went improbably wider than Lex’s and worry marred his sunken features.

 _“Impulse, get him out of here,”_ the vigilante ordered _. “I’ll deal with Luthor.”_

“No, Lex.” Clark was struggling to his feet. What the hell was he doing? He needed to leave! Lex pulse pounded when Clark started to sway on his feet then tipped over.

Lex’s mind raced while he watched Clark fall headlong, almost in slow motion, toward the concrete floor. He needed not to have an arrow aimed at him, needed to be allowed to move. He needed to able to move fast enough to get to the other room before Clark’s head collided with the ground. Then the kid in red, Impulse the Green Arrow had called him, had a grip on Clark. The breath of relief was past Lex’s lips before he could even consider that it was a display of emotion, and therefore weakness. Now if they would just…

 _“Get him out of here!”_ The order echoed Lex’s thoughts so exactly it took him a moment to realize it had come from the archer behind him and not himself.

“I’m going, I’m going. No need to get snippy GA, I heard you the first time.” Then the kid and Clark were gone and the tension started to drop out of Lex until he heard the snap of a released bowstring.

The arrow struck the control panel next to his outstretched hand and he flinched away from the shower of sparks that burst from it. Everything next seemed to happen very fast.

He was seized, arms zip-tied behind him, a dark hood, that irritated his bare scalp, was shoved over his head, and he was marched through the maze of a prison he had built by a gloved hand on the back of his neck.

Lex had been in enough helicopters to know that he was being shoved into one once they’d gotten outside. As they lifted off the ground he heard another arrow being loosed and a few moments later a small explosion below them that must have been the entrance to the bunker. That was was fine, he had no interest in setting foot near that place ever again.

The helicopter ride wasn’t long. Then Lex was moved into, based on the seat he now occupied, a respectably expensive private jet. Nothing close to his, but still it seemed that the vigilante was well funded.

A multi-hour flight and car ride later, that likely included several double backs, Lex’s wrists were cut free. As he gripped the hood over his head, he heard the obvious clang of a cell door slamming shut. He yanked the hood away and examined his surroundings. The cell was easily half the size of the one he’d built for Clark; while Clark’s had been well lit the cell Lex found himself in was dark and dingy. All four walls were dark stone, one with a large, thick metal door, presumably, the one that he’d heard slam. Pushed against the wall to the left was a small and incredibly uncomfortable looking cot. On the wall across from the cot, however, had a small wooden door. Lex stepped forward, and curiously tested the doorknob. It turned with a soft click and opened to more of restroom stall more than an actual bathroom, but it had a shower in as well so it would do.

Resigned to his fate of indefinite incarceration, Lex laid back on the cot, hands folded neatly on his torso, and stared at the ceiling.

*************************************

The few days that passed had not been entirely unbearable. Lex was provided two meals each day and along with the first of each was always brought new clothes. They weren’t particularly comfortable or well-fitting but at least they were clean. The real problem was being left alone with his thoughts.

He tried keeping occupied: counting prime numbers as high as he could think of, listing the elements alphabetically, by atomic weight; but always his mind turned to Clark. Curled in on himself in the corner of the cell, writhing against the pain of an electric current, or hurtling, unconsciously, to the ground.

By his count, it had been about three and a half days -not including the day he was brought here- when Lex heard the arguing voices coming down the hall. They were obviously shouting, but must have been far away enough still that Lex could only just make out what they were saying through the door. But they were slowly getting closer.

“... -ame here.” The first voice, male, was saying. “Just because you want to let him know who you are doesn’t mean the rest of us do.”

“Fine, I won’t say your name,” Clark said. Clark! What the hell was he doing here? Lex strained to listen harder.

“Why do you let him know anyway?”

“What would you suggest I do? Kill him?” The voices stopped moving. Apparently, the men had stopped walking.

“You’re telling me with all of the tech your parents left you access to you couldn’t make him forget if you wanted too?” The voice Lex didn’t know accused. Clark’s answering silence sounded guilty. Lex could practically see him, eyes down, kicking at the ground; just like every time, Lex had asked him about anything weird in Smallville. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Lex was floored. Clark had the capability to wipe the knowledge of his powers from his mind but hadn’t. Why? He didn’t have time to think about it now, the voices were moving closer again.  

“...-y identity is my business,” Clark was saying. “But none of this changes what I said: you can’t keep him here!”

“Why the hell not?! Who’s going to look for him here?”

“There are laws! A whole justice system. We don’t get to lock people up in secret prisons with no trial and throw away the key!”

“Oh yeah that’s rich, Luthor up to testify, gets sworn in, then announces ‘Clark Kent is Superman!’ He can’t be tried for what happened. So what he just goes free?” They were standing right outside the door now.

“I'll manage him!" Clark snapped.

Lex wasn't sure he liked the idea of being 'managed.'

“Just open the damned door, _Arrow!_ ”

"Or what?”

There was a thunderous bang and the door dented inwards. “I break it down,” Clark said, voice low and even.

Lex moved to stand in the bathroom, clear of where he might get crushed by the metal door. Another boom and the door bent in some more and fingers appeared around the edges, the metal groaning and it was warped and pulled.

“He’ll see! See me, see where he is! You’ll expose it all!”

Clark paused, the door quieting while he thought. “I’ll handle it.” Then there was a metallic screech and the door was gone.

There was barely a moment to process that fact before a hand came down over his eyes and arm wrapped securely around his waist, pulling him up and back against a strong torso. He barely registered Clark telling him to brace himself before he felt a lurch and heard air rushing past his ears. A second or so later the forward motion stopped, but Lex’s relief was short lived.

Clark’s hand came away from Lex’s eyes, and the plaid sleeved arm came over his shoulder and stretched across his torso so the hand settled near his hip. Together the arms that enclosed Lex mimicked the straps of a seat belt, then Clark sprung and they were airborne.

Lex could feel the scream built up in his throat but wasn’t sure if it ever made it passed his lips over the roaring of the wind. He screwed his eyes shut against the stinging air, the cold making his whole head numb. There was no way that Lex would ever admit how tightly he was clinging to the arm across his chest or the way that he turned his head, trying to bury his face in its shoulder; but he cursed the chuckle he felt in the broad chest behind him.

When they finally landed in his office Lex stumbled forward out of Clark’s arms, clinging to the edge of his desk for support. He turned at the sound of hard breathing behind him and turned to see Clark, leaning against the windows, trying to catch his breath.

Lex didn’t understand, he looked over at the bookshelf that hid his vault, everything was closed, there was no meteor rock out to be making Clark sick. Clark saw where Lex was looking but was wrong about the why.

“Arrow and Impulse already came by and took all the Kryptonite that was in there,” he scoffed.

“I  wasn’t…” Lex started, but what did it matter, Clark probably wasn’t going to believe him. “Okay then. If that’s all I have a company to get back to running, I’ve been gone for a while and have to make sure everything is still running the way I left it.”

Clark rolled his eyes, then took off into the night through the window they’d entered.

****************************

It was another three days, on Thursday night, when Lex finally worked up the fortitude to face Clark again. Or so he thought but he had been standing in front of Clark’s door, with a lead coated briefcase, for over two minutes and was only now starting to raise his fist to knock. But the door swung away from his knuckles and Clark stood over him, face hard and eyes distant.

“What’s in the case, _Luthor_?”

Lex’s throat tightened at the cold way Clark had said his name, it was how Superman had addressed him during his months of criminal activity.

“It… it’s your- uh- suit,” Lex mumbled, holding it out to Clark. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had such a hard time getting out a sentence, it must have been at least a decade.

Clark didn’t take the briefcase, just eyed it suspiciously.

“Some vials of Kryptonite spilled on it when you were in my office,” Lex said in a rush. “I tried to get it all out but thought surrounding it with lead when I returned it was best.”

Clark nodded and took the handle from Lex, who was startled to see bruises over the young man's knuckles. “I’ll have it examined for traces.”

Lex ran a hand over his scalp, the old nervous tick he thought he’d put to bed. “I wanted to ask one last question,” he said hesitantly; knowing that Clark would be well within his rights to tell him to go jump off a bridge. But instead, he just inclined his head slightly for Lex to continue. “Why didn’t you leave me locked up? Why come get me from the Green Arrow?”

The corners of Clark’s mouth twitched, and his gaze softened slightly. “Like I told back at that fake Belle Reve: I spent a lot of time thinking about what happened back then and wishing there was some way that I could take it back and do it right. I figured this was the closest I was going to get to that chance.”

“Thanks,” Lex said with a nod and turned to leave.

“So when’s the press conference?”

Lex stopped and turned back to look at Clark utterly bewildered. What press conference was he talking about?

A smirk at Lex’s confusion flashed across Clark’s face before he continued. “You know when you announce to the world that you, Lex Luthor, figured out who Superman is without the suit.”

“Why would I…”

“The deal was, questions in exchange for silence; you just said that was your last question.”

Lex wasn’t exactly sure he understood what was going on here. His hand came up for another pass over his scalp. Was Clark offering to continue their arrangement?

“It may not be a practice that you’re used to dealing with in business, but I keep my deals, Lex,” Clark said. “Now somehow I still had my job at the _Planet_ when I got back,” he looked pointedly at Lex -again with the damned scalp! He needed to get a handle on this.- “But I am riding the desk for a while as penance for my ‘disappearing act’, according to Perry. So if you aren’t going to the press, then I’ll see you on Saturday. But not too early, mid-morning shifting to afternoon should work. Maybe bring some food, _not sandwiches._ ”

Lex felt his face go slack while he stared uncomprehendingly and Clark. Earning him a brilliant, slightly mocking, grin from the younger man.

“Oh, and Lex, on the next bug sweep day you may want to take a look in that control panel on your desk.” Then Lex was staring at the closed door.


	14. Chapter 14

It was Saturday morning and Clark, in a plain t-shirt and baggy jeans, was floating somewhere along Venus’ solar orbit. After this, he would finally have replenished from his time trapped underground. He’d have gone closer -more along the lines of Mercury’s orbit- but these clothes would burn. His suit was in the Fortress of Solitude, where he’d left it to be examined, and if needed decontaminated, by Jor-El’s A.I.  

The rumble of a Porsche engine in Metropolis caught Clark’s attention. It’s not that Lex was the only person who owned a Porsche in the city, far from it. It was just that on some level he had been waiting for signs that Lex was going to take up his offer to keep answering questions so he must have been honed in on Lex’s vehicles. It was quite a while from when the engine cut until Lex exited the car and slammed its door shut. The familiar screech of the rusty hinge on the front door of his building provided the queue Clark needed to make a beeline for the bedroom window he had left open. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Lex was barely level with the door when it flung open. 

He was forcefully reminded of the high schooler who had once been his only friend when Clark exclaimed, “Ooh Chinese!” with a blinding grin. He then snatched the bag of food from Lex’s hand and disappeared into the apartment, leaving the door open as he unpacked the food and dug out dishes. 

Lex very rarely felt small and unsure of how to carry himself, he usually dominated any situation and intimidated all parties involved, but this was proving the exception to the rule. 

“You know it’s considered rude to stand in doorways,” Clark said, putting a plate on the end of the table closest to the door. “Someone might start to question the Luthor upbringing.”

Lex moved mechanically into the apartment and shut the door behind him. He eyed Clark wearily as he began scooping some food onto his plate. He noticed that anytime he shifted to reach for something Clark would lean back a fraction, and the one time they’d reached for something at the same time he'd just seen that the bruises had faded from Clark's knuckles before the hand had flinched away. Once he’d taken enough -not even half of what Clark had and he was still piling food on- Lex settled into what he was surprised to realize he’d just thought of as his spot on the left of the couch and balanced his plate on the arm, tearing open the pack of disposable chopsticks. He looked up when he heard the rattle of silverware in a drawer.

“What are you doing?”

“Eating?” Clark asked more than answered.

“I spent months teaching you to properly use chopsticks.”

“Well I’m a bit out of practice,” he shrugged. 

“Then you can get back into practice.” Lex gestured to the other pack still on the table. 

Clark gave an amused snort, but obliged, dropping the fork back in the drawer. He made his way to the living room, mountain of food and chopsticks in hand. Lex shifted so he was facing the other end of the couch, but instead, Clark sat on the floor, with the coffee table between them and eyed his chopsticks for a few moments before opening them. 

“I didn't lace them with Kryptonite or anything,” Lex said with an exasperated sigh.

“I know that. When I said I was out of practice I meant with how much pressure I could use to hold the chopsticks, I was just trying to remember how not to crush them.”

“You have to think just to pick up a pair of chopsticks?”

Clark nodded. “Some stuff eventually becomes muscle memory: walking without putting my foot through the pavement, typing, using a fork, you know stuff I do every day.”

“How much concentration does that take?”

“Well I never really considered the exact percentage,” Clark said around a mouthful of sweet and sour chicken, “but not a whole lot usually. Much less than I’m spending talking to you, but probably a little more than is spent sifting through the noise, from here to well beyond Smallville, for any major emergencies or disasters.”

“And you hear all that all the time?”

“Sort of... I mean I am aware that my hearing is that sensitive and picks everything up, but I don’t usually listen actively to all of it at once. But if it’s something I really care about, it comes to my attention.”

Lex lapsed into silence for a while, picking at his food. He didn’t really know what to ask, he shouldn’t even be here at all. It didn’t make sense for Clark to have invited him here, unless…

“Is this ‘managing’ me?’ He asked abruptly. 

“So you did hear that,” was all Clark answered, eyes not leaving his food. “I thought so, but I wasn't exactly sure.”

“I heard some of your conversation with the Arrow, yes.” Lex didn’t want to admit exactly how much he’d heard. He didn’t want to bring up the possibility of being made to forget all of this, enough memories had been taken from him in life. “It’s just your instincts for self-preservation cannot possibly be this deficient. You nearly died because of me barely a week ago. So I don’t understand why I’m here! Is it just some long game to get back at me?”

Clark studied Lex for a moment before looking back at his plate. “I did tell O-Arrow that I’d manage you… only I haven’t decided if I’m going to stick to that yet.”

Lex felt the breath leave him. He was afraid he’d like any other options less than being managed. “Haven’t de- deci… what’s to-”

“Green Arrow told me you tried to trick him into killing me, you know?” Clark asked suddenly, cutting off Lex’s stammering. Lex was too stunned to find his voice, but Clark didn’t see, to need an answer. “He said that when they found us you claimed that the button you had been reaching for would shut down the system; hoping that he would press it and deliver the shock that would finish me off.” Clark paused for a beat, but Lex was still speechless. “But I think he might have been wrong. You weren’t lying, were you?” Now Clark seemed to want an answer. 

“No, I wasn't,” Lex said, not fully realizing when his hand came up to pass over his scalp again. 

“That’s why I’m not sure you need managing. If you were about to turn it all off then you must have decided that I had paid for my actions. I'm not trying to get back at you, Lex, I just understand you. You got even, so you’re not going to come after me anymore; at least not about  _ that _ . But I suppose you could consider it managing if it's easier to understand. So, are you gonna want seconds or can I finish off the food?”

“You… um… you can hav-“ 

“Sorry, hold that thought!” Clark dashed from the room and returned a moment later holding a small black burner phone to his ear. “Hey, Impulse, can you do me a solid? There’s a six, make that eight, car pileup on the 99 and one of the engines is going to ignite in about a minute. I need you to go evac the civilians… I can’t… I don’t have my suit… No, he gave it back… We can play twenty questions later! Explosion imminent. Thanks, man I owe you one. Yeah ok, I’ll make payment in the form of mom’s baked goods.” 

Clark crossed to the television and flipped on the news. There it was: live chopper coverage of the 1,2...4...8 cars, all twisted and flipped across the highway. A red line moved in and around the wreckage seconds before a flame erupted from the hood of one car. In under a minute it had spread to three of the others nearest it. 

“You get everyone?” Clark asked into the phone still at his ear. “That’s great! Hey, wanna run around, create a vacuum and starve the blast… No, I’m not trying to tell you how to do your job, it’s just a suggestion… Thanks again… Yeah, I’ll talk to you later man.

“Sorry bout that Lex,” Clark smiled, flipping the phone shut. He turned off the tv just as a red circle started to form around the burning cars. “So was that a yes I could finish the food?”


	15. Chapter 15

In the end, Clark did get to finish the Chinese food, and Lex left not long after having spent most of the time sitting in awkward silence.

“Same time next week?” It was technically a question (probably) but Clark’s inflection didn’t show it.

“Um…” Lex’s brain stalled.

“Great! See you then, don’t forget the food.”

****************************

“Smallville!”

“Not my name, Lois,” Clark sighed, adjusting his glasses and turning his chair to see the brunette making a beeline for his desk from the elevator.

“I just got an incredible tip on guess who.”

“Superman?”

“No. Luthor! He’s been sneaking around without his security detail.”

“Where did you hear this?”

“Really? You know I can’t reveal a source. Anyway, apparently, it started about once a week a few months back, then stopped suddenly, and started up again just a few weeks ago. You think I should try to reach out to Superman? Tell him that Luthor is planning something.”

Clark was frozen for a few seconds. “Y-you don’t know that he is doing anything illegal.”

“This is Luthor we’re talking about,  of course, he is.”

“You said he had no security right. None whatsoever?”

“None.”

“Not even that scary woman, Mercy?”

“It’s like there’s straw between your ears! Is none too big a word for you?”

“Do you really think Lex Luthor would be doing something so illegal and probably dangerous without Mercy Graves with him?” Clark spoke like he was explaining something exceedingly simple to a child. “Luthor thinks he’s the most important person in the world and is totally paranoid no way he puts himself in harm's way like that. He’s probably just seeing someone he doesn’t want anyone to know about, gossip column fodder. But hey if that’s the story you want to chase-” Clark shrugged as if to say 'that's none of my business.'

Lois glared daggers at the implication her name would ever be anywhere near the society section. “If anyone should want to keep it secret it’s probably the poor girl dating the bald freak,” she finally shrugged, setting off a hot surge of indignant anger to bloom in Clark’s chest.

He was still fuming from Lois’ parting words a few minutes later when his desk phone rang.

“Kent,” he grumbled.

“Bad time, Clark?” The cool, even voice drawled through the line, dousing Clark’s anger instantly.

“Lex?” Clark hissed, looking around to make sure no one would overhear. “Listen about Saturday…”

“You’re not canceling on me, are you? I was just going to ask your thoughts on Vietnamese for lunch.”

The mention of food distracted Clark from what he knew he needed to talk to Lex about, instead just asking: “Are you trying to bring back _Mission Expand Clark’s Cultural Pallet_ from when I was in high school?”

“That depends, did it take last time?”

“Not exactly.”

“Then I’d say it’s time to try again. So, Vietnamese?”

“Yeah sure, Lex, I trust you,” Clark muttered absently, opening a new article Perry just sent him to fact check. He only realized what he’d said when he heard Lex’s sharp breath on the phone and his accelerating heart rate in LexTowers. “I-I only meant that you know, you’ve always had good taste in food is all.” He stammered quickly.

Lex didn’t answer for a minute.

“Lex?”

“So if you weren’t canceling what was it you wanted to bring up about Saturday?” The other man finally spoke once he’d regained his composure.

“Hm? Oh yeah, you’ve been outed.”

“... I’ve what?”

“Someone told Lois you’ve been going out without a security detail.” Clark regretted volunteering that information almost instantly, sure he’d just cost some people their jobs. “I threw her off the scent for now but she gets like a dog with a bone when she thinks there’s a story. If she decides to take another look at this, it’s not exactly like your cars blend in anywhere but especially not in my neighborhood.”

Lex was quite for another few seconds, then, “I’ll think of something; see you Saturday,” and the line clicked dead.

************************************

Lex’s skin crawled sitting in the second hand Toyota. He had purchased it through a shell corporation, whose offices shared a parking structure with LexCorp, under the official designation of a company car. He’d even had it detailed twice but still, he thought he could feel the dead skin cells of prior owners in the seat fibers.

It took ages to find parking, no longer assured safety from tickets or towing when parked in front of the hydrant. In the end, he had to walk two blocks, but it was worth it to be out of the ridiculous vehicle.

“It’s open!” Clark called before Lex had actually knocked.

“What are you doing?” Lex asked, taking in the sight of Clark sitting at the low coffee table surrounded by papers.

“Taxes,” Clark said, holding up a form that Lex now recognized as a W-2.

“In the middle of March? How responsible of you. Don’t most people wait until the week of Tax Day?”

“And when did you file your taxes? You know the ones that are probably extremely doctored, to the point of bordering on fraudulent.”

“Two weeks ago,” Lex grumbled, unpacking the food.

“That’s what I thought. Food smells good, mind dishing it out? Plates are two cabinets to the right of the fridge and silverware is in the drawer just below.”

Lex nodded although he wasn’t certain Clark noticed, he hadn’t lifted his face from his paper since Lex had arrived.

“Oh, there's a case of TyNant in the fridge if you want to grab two,” Clark added when Lex was just about finished dividing their food, Clark’s plate with more than double Lex’s.  Lex crossed to the fridge, which was nearly bare- housing only the waters, a bottle of ketchup and a pizza box with one dried out slice of sausage and pepperoni leftovers- and took out two bottles.

He eyed Clark, still wholly focused on his papers, curiously for a few seconds then hurled one of the waters at him as hard as he could.

Lex didn't even see Clark’s hand move. One moment it seemed the bottle was going to hit Clark square on his head, and suddenly it was set neatly on the table. His pen had never even stopped scratching across the federal forms.

“Need any help with that?” Lex offered, as though he hadn’t just tried to beam Clark in the head with a water bottle, and tried to find a place on the coffee table to put Clark's food.

“I’m almost done actually,” Clark said. But Lex saw that there was hardly anything written on the papers.

Clark began piling all his papers, and Lex thought he was just planning to take a break. Then Clark gripped the bottom of the stack with his left hand and began flipping through it like one of those children’s books where each illustration is infinitesimally different to the one before so that flipping through it looked like the picture moved. Green eyes moved back and forth like someone in R.E.M sleep and Clark’s right hand flew down the page, a dozen or so seconds later and the form was completed.

Lex realized he was gaping, but couldn’t make himself stop. Not even when he heard Clark chuckling at him.

“Have you always been able to process information like that?”

“Pretty much,” Clark shrugged, shoveling down food. “Moving as fast as I do I have to be able to understand and react accordingly.”

Lex ate quietly for a while, rethinking through his friendship with Clark, allowing this new information to color his memories.

“All that time you spent doing your homework at the mansion?” Lex prompted.

“What about it?”

“Why come to me for ‘help’ if you could clearly finish faster on your own? Was it fun to see me look like a jackass, or a know it all?”

“I never thought you were a jackass,” Clark said angrily, “not back then anyway.” Then his posture softened and he continued, “I did it cause it made you happy. I knew dealing with the plant and your father was stressful for you, but you seemed to like explaining high school concepts, that you probably fully comprehended at twelve. I was just trying to help.”

Lex fell into silence, he really was an ass.

Clark suddenly turned to look out the window. “Listen, Lex, I’m sorry, but I’ve gotta go. Green Arrow needs help from Superman.” He vanished from the room and was back in his outlandish Superman outfit in an instant. “Just lock the door behind you when you leave, ok? Next week let’s do food from a different continent.”

Then he was out the window before Lex fully absorbed the fact that he was leaving. A moment later, sitting alone and confused, it occurred to him that Clark had just referred to himself in the third person. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know the last few chapters have all been pretty similar but this should be the last one like this.


	16. Please don't hate me. I'm so sorry.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not actually a chapter...

> I am so so so very sorry to have not posted in pretty much a literal year. It only recently sunk in for me that it has been that long. I am a terrible person and always feel so abandoned when I'm reading fics that this happens with. (That being said I now fully understand how that happens but that is not the point of this apology chapter.) It's not really an excuse but I had serious writer block and started hating the story itself for that fact and then life and crap. But I swear I won't leave it unfinished. I'm well into the next chapter that I will post in a few days, I'll try to make it a Christmas gift. Once again I apologize and thank you for you patience. 
> 
> -Beaconhound (formerly AdelaideBarnes)


End file.
